A study has found what starts out in someone else’s personal medicine cabinet, is often finding its way into the glass of water consumed by Tennessee residents.

There was a time Tennesseans were instructed to flush unused drugs down the toilet, but new studies, including one done here in the Volunteer State, found an alarming number of chemicals in drinking water.

“The pathway from the toilet to the stream is pretty direct,” explained James Kingsbury, a Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.